Lancaster facility receives authorization from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to process 600,000 solar panels annually.
Posted by Chris Sweeney, Managing Editor
Clean Earth has launched its solar panel recycling services at its facility in Lancaster, Texas, which recently received approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
The permit authorizes the site to receive and recycle solar panels alongside its enhanced electronic scrap recycling operations. Clean Earth, a division of Enviri Corp., says the expansion marks a significant milestone as Clean Earth continues to focus on recycling solutions for the renewable energy market, providing critical services and technologies for the lifecycle of sustainable power.
The Lancaster facility has served as a key hub for Clean Earth’s electronics recycling operations, and the new TCEQ authorization extends those capabilities to include end-of-life solar panel management.
"Grouping our electronics recycling operations in Lancaster is a direct response to what our customers and the broader renewable energy market needs, one trusted partner who can efficiently and cost-effectively manage the full life cycle of their solar waste without the complexity of juggling multiple vendors," Clean Earth President Jeff Beswick says.
Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Clean Earth says the Lancaster facility can process about 600,000 solar panels per year at full capacity. This is equivalent to 20 million pounds of material from sources including damaged panels at delivery, construction materials generated during installation, balance-of-system material and end-of-life panels at decommissioning.
Clean Earth applies material assessment, waste profiling and regulatory insight to determine the most responsible and compliant outcome for each panel and component, providing recycling and reuse options based on material composition and applicable regulatory requirements.
The firm says Lancaster’s expanded capabilities support existing and emerging materials management requirements, including recent Texas legislation that requires new solar facilities to undertake additional recycling activities, including the collection, reuse, recycling or shipping for recycling of all recyclable facility components.
"Texas is one of the fastest-growing markets for solar and electronics development in the country, and having the people, the permits, and the processes all under one roof means our customers can move faster, stay compliant and do right by the environment at the same time," Beswick says.

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